Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 has made the announcement of the tournament seedings. With the seedings for the 24-team men’s and 16-team women’s competitions now finalized, World Rugby expects to announce the match schedule shortly, enabling fans to lock in plans for their tournament experience.
View Tournament Seedings Here >>
The competition, which features the world’s top men’s and women’s teams, will be played over three exhilarating days at AT&T Park – Home of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants – from July 20-22.
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 has captured the imagination in the host city, across the USA and around the world with strong ticket sales as fans look to make their mark by attending this historic tournament that features many first-of-its-kind experiences.
San Francisco 2018 is the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the USA, the first major international rugby event to be played in a baseball stadium and the first sevens event to feature a new, innovative format that will ensure every match counts if teams are to win a medal.
“Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 is set to be a very special, landmark event,” said World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont. “Not only is it the first Rugby World Cup event in the USA, but we have are introducing an innovative schedule that will mean teams wishing to lift the iconic Melrose Cup and Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens Trophy will need to win every match. We believe that this format will be popular with fans, further reflecting our mission to deliver an outstanding experience for fans and teams in one of the world’s best-known and best-loved cities.”
In the men’s competition, seeds one to eight were the quarter-finalists from Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow and have been seeded according to their ranking in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, the most competitive series to date.
Seeds nine to 14 qualified through the 2016-17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and have been seeded according to current series rankings, while seeds 15 to 24 qualified via regional tournaments over the last year.
The innovative tournament format will see an initial knock out pre-round of 16 featuring the nations ranked ninth to 24th, while the top eight seeds progress automatically to the round of 16.
In the men’s tournament current HSBC World Sevens Series leaders South Africa are top seeds with Olympic Champions Fiji seeded second. Reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens holders New Zealand are seeded third ahead of 2013 World Cup Sevens runners up England, who are seeded fourth. Host nation USA, who were victorious in the recent Las Vegas leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series are seeded fifth.
The women’s competition follows the same format as the men’s with seeds one to four qualifying via Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 semi-final participation and seeded according to current HSBC Women’s Sevens Series rankings. Seeds five to eight qualifying via the last series and seeded according to current series rankings and nine to 16 qualifying via regional tournaments over the last year.
At the top of the women’s seedings are reigning World Cup holders New Zealand, followed by Olympic Champions and current HSBC Women’s Sevens Series leaders Australia, who are second seeds. Canada are seeded third, ahead of Russia in fourth and hosts USA are seeded fifth.
To build excitement and fuel the anticipation of RWC Sevens later this summer, the San Francisco Giants are set to host the inaugural Rugby Night at AT&T Park on Monday, May 14th. Rugby Night will celebrate the proud Rugby culture in the Bay Area and generate positive momentum prior to the historic tournament in July. The Special Event Rugby Night ticket package includes a ticket to the Monday night game against the Cincinnati Reds, a custom, full size Giants-branded Rugby ball and access to a pre-game reception. All past, present & future Rugby players, coaches and fans are encouraged to take part in this first-of-its-kind event. Partial proceeds from every Rugby Night ticket will benefit the Impact Beyond Program established by Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Ticket sales are strong and fans are encouraged to make plans and purchase tickets soon. For additional information, visit rwcsevens.com/tickets
About Giants Enterprises: Giants Enterprises, the entrepreneurial arm of the San Francisco Giants dedicated to developing new ventures beyond the Major League Baseball franchise, hosts one-of-a-kind experiences at AT&T Park, throughout San Francisco, on San Francisco Bay and beyond. Giants Enterprises has produced thousands of events over the last 17+ years, including the 34th America’s Cup, delivering the Official Spectator Experiences and successfully commercializing the event for the first time in its 160-year history. In addition, Giants Enterprises has produced and executed major concerts, international soccer matches, professional & college football games and The Giant Race series. One of the top hospitality, event, entertainment and sports consultancy teams in the world, Giants Enterprises operates more than 15 venues in and around AT&T Park including to two luxury maritime vessels. For more information, visit www.giantsenterprises.com.
About RWC Sevens 2018:In 2015, World Rugby granted to USA Rugby hosting rights of the largest international sevens tournament. USA Rugby is leading the planning and delivery of this international tournament in San Francisco, working closely with World Rugby, local partners and officials. Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 will be played in the iconic AT&T Park, featuring the best 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams from around the world. For more information, visit www.rwcsevens.com.
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